The present invention relates to concentrated textile treatment compositions and a method for preparing such compositions. In particular, it relates to fabric softener/static control compositions for use in the laundering process, which possess excellent storage stability and viscosity/processing characteristics.
Compositions used in the laundry solution to provide fabric softening and static control benefits to laundered fabrics, which utilize water-insoluble cationic compounds, such as ditallow dimethylammonium materials, are well-known. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,958,059, Diehl, issued May 18, 1976; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,920,563, Wixon, issued Nov. 18, 1975. Only recently has it been shown that improved softening and static control performance can be achieved using mixtures of such water-insoluble cationic materials together with long-chain hydrocarbons, such as paraffin. See Belgian Pat. No. 868,934, published Jan. 12, 1979. In addition to excellent fabric softening and static control performance, one of the major advantages of such compositions is that, by the proper selection and combination of components, they can be produced in concentrated form utilizing relatively high active levels. While such concentrated compositions provide numerous convenience benefits to both the manufacturer and the consumer, the use of such high levels of cationic and paraffin materials (frequently as high as 20 to 40% of the total composition) can lead to undesirably high viscosities and, therefore, difficulties in processing, as well as products which can form separate phases during long periods of storage.
The present invention is based on the discovery that the addition of specific mono-long chain amine or amine-derived compounds to aqueous textile treating compositions, containing water-insoluble cationic softeners and long-chain hydrocarbons, results in compositions which exhibit excellent storage stability and viscosity properties, as well as outstanding fabric softening and static control performance. The compositions also exhibit improved filming properties, thereby reducing undesirable dispenser residues.
Amines of the type used herein are well-known. See Schwartz and Perry, Surface-Active Agents, Robert E. Kreiger Publishing Company, Huntington, New York, 1978, pages 172-177. These compounds are generally used as emulsifiers, such as in the preparation of cosmetic formulations. The mono-long chain amidoamines have also been taught for use as liquifiers in fabric softener compositions containing non-cationic softener components. See German Specification No. 27 22 079, published Dec. 14, 1978 and German Specification No. 28 41 076. However, they have not been taught or suggested for use in softener compositions which utilize the specific water-insoluble cationic/long-chain hydrocarbon mixtures required in the present invention.
Certain water-soluble cationic materials, such as ethoxylated diamine salts (see Belgian Pat. No. 868,934, published Jan. 12, 1979) and mono-long chain quaternary ammonium salts (see British Patent Application No. 79-13934, filed Apr. 21, 1979) have been taught in combination with cationic/hydrocarbon softener mixtures, such as those used in the present invention; however, as demonstrated herein, the specific amines used in the present invention, particularly the amidoamines, demonstrate advantages over these water-soluble cationic materials.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide aqueous textile treating compositions which exhibit excellent viscosity and storage stability properties.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide aqueous textile treating compositions which exhibit excellent fabric softening and static control performance when used in rinse cycle of an automatic laundering operation.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a method for preparing storage stable aqueous textile treating compositions which contain a water-insoluble cationic material and a long-chain hydrocarbon, such as paraffin.